Upstart
Senior Infrastructure Engineer
Job Summary
The role involves managing and enhancing data infrastructure, with a focus on Lakehouse platforms like Databricks and cloud services such as AWS. The position requires hands-on experience in DevOps, automation, container orchestration, and data architecture, with a strong emphasis on security and observability. The engineer will collaborate with cross-functional teams to improve infrastructure reliability, efficiency, and best practices while supporting data apps and mentoring junior staff. Candidates should have extensive experience in data engineering, cloud computing, and scalable system design.
Required Skills
Benefits
Job Description
About Upstart
Upstart is the leading AI lending marketplace partnering with banks and credit unions to expand access to affordable credit. By leveraging Upstart's AI marketplace, Upstart-powered banks and credit unions can have higher approval rates and lower loss rates across races, ages, and genders, while simultaneously delivering the exceptional digital-first lending experience their customers demand. More than 80% of borrowers are approved instantly, with zero documentation to upload.
Upstart is a digital-first company, which means that most Upstarters live and work anywhere in the United States. However, we also have offices in San Mateo, California; Columbus, Ohio; and Austin, Texas.
Most Upstarters join us because they connect with our mission of enabling access to effortless credit based on true risk. If you are energized by the impact you can make at Upstart, we’d love to hear from you!
The Data Platform Engineering team (Part of Upstart's Decisioning & Data) provides developer tools, frameworks, and scalable data infrastructure as shared services across Upstart. The team's primary objective is to provide Data Analysts, ML scientists, and Software Engineers access to high-quality data and developer tools to create business metrics and training data for respective product verticals.
You will join the subdivision that focuses on data infrastructure & observability.
As the Senior Infrastructure Engineer joining this team, you will get the opportunity to contribute to 3 areas:
- Managing the Lakehouse (Databricks) infrastructure, including access control, security, and observability.
- Continuously enhance data infrastructure observability, with a focus on cost and usage efficiency within the data engineering space.
- Improve the build-test-deploy-monitor pattern for data apps and stack like Change Data Capture, Spark, Kafka, etc.
We would love to hear from you if you are passionate about infrastructure and observability!
Position Location - This role is available in the following locations: Remote, San Mateo, Columbus, Austin
Time Zone Requirements - This team operates across all U.S. time zones.
Travel Requirements - This team has regular on-site collaboration sessions. These occur 3 days per quarter at an Upstart office. If you need to travel to make these meetups, Upstart will cover all travel related expenses.
How you’ll make an impact:
- Help build Upstart's cloud infrastructure that aligns with the overall business objectives by participating in planning and prioritization.
- Improve developer efficiency and infrastructure reliability by working with cross-functional stakeholders like Data Engineering, Machine Learning, Analytics, Compliance, and Security.
- Improve Lakehouse security, usage efficiency, and observability by collaborating closely with the Data Engineering and Security teams.
- Evangelize good coding and engineering best practices while uplifting fellow engineers and mentoring junior team members.
- Help break down complex projects and requirements into quarterly commitments and sprints.
- Provide top tier support for our data apps and keep them highly available
What we’re looking for:
- Minimum requirements:
- A bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related field.
- 5+ years of experience in infrastructure engineering, DevOps or related fields, with a strong focus on data infrastructure (bonus).
- Hands-on experience in AWS cloud services (EC2, SQS, S3, Lambda, EKS).
- Strong experience working with Python or similar scripting languages.
- Strong DevOps/SRE knowledge and expertise in multiple areas, including scripting, IaC, automation, configuration management, and containerization/container orchestration (Kubernetes).
- Ability to approach problems with first principles thinking, embrace ambiguity, and enjoy collaborative work on complex solutions.
- Hands-on experience with both open-source and enterprise application performance monitoring solutions.
- Preferred qualifications:
- Strong foundation in algorithms and data structures, with an emphasis on real-world applications.
- Proficient in DevOps engineering, leveraging Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) tools such as Kubernetes, Jenkins, CDK, APM, Terraform, and more. Experienced in automation, alerting, monitoring, security, and declarative infrastructure.
- Solid understanding of cloud networking fundamentals.
- Skilled at explaining complex concepts in simple, accessible terms and thriving in fast-paced, ambiguous environments.
- Familiarity with distributed systems, data architecture design, and big data technologies (e.g., Spark, Kafka, Lakehouse, Databricks) is a plus.
What you'll love:
- Competitive Compensation (base + bonus & equity)
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with Health Savings Account contributions from Upstart
- 401(k) with 100% company match up to $4,500 and immediate vesting and after-tax savings
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
- Life and disability insurance
- Generous holiday, vacation, sick and safety leave
- Supportive parental, family care, and military leave programs
- Annual wellness, technology & ergonomic reimbursement programs
- Social activities including team events and onsites, all-company updates, employee resource groups (ERGs), and other interest groups such as book clubs, fitness, investing, and volunteering
- Catered lunches + snacks & drinks when working in offices
#LI-REMOTE
#LI-MidSenior
At Upstart, your base pay is one part of your total compensation package. The anticipated base salary for this position is expected to be within the below range. Your actual base pay will depend on your geographic location–with our “digital first” philosophy, Upstart uses compensation regions that vary depending on location. Individual pay is also determined by job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process.
In addition, Upstart provides employees with target bonuses, equity compensation, and generous benefits packages (including medical, dental, vision, and 401k).
Upstart is a proud Equal Opportunity Employer. We are dedicated to ensuring that underrepresented classes receive better access to affordable credit, and are just as committed to embracing diversity and inclusion in our hiring practices. We celebrate all cultures, backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences, and know that we can only become better together.
If you require reasonable accommodation in completing an application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please email [email protected]
Upstart
A lending platform using AI to provide personal loans and credit solutions with a focus on fair and fast approvals.
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